Events at a Glance: Arts & Entertainment Calendar

There’s so much to do in our neck of the Old Northwest Territory! Here are some fun events coming up this winter.

See the musical stage version of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, Jan. 13 at Rockford’s Coronado Performing Arts Center.

January

Bryan Bowers
Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m. Presented by Charlotte’s Web (The Web). This singer/songwriter and master storyteller, who grew up near Petersburg, site of the Civil War’s Battle of the Crater, is also one of the preeminent autoharp players in the world. Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center (MPAC), Emerson House, 420 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 964-2238, charlotteswebofrockford.org.

Miranda Lambert
Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m. CMA female vocalist of the year performs songs from her new CD and hits like “The House That Built Me” and “Famous in a Small Town.” BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford, (815) 968-5600, metrocentre.com.

The Web: The April Verch Band
Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. This singer/songwriter and step dancer and her band play with exuberance a mix of traditional music, from her native Canada to Appalachia and the deep south, on fiddle, banjo and guitar. MPAC, Emerson Auditorium, Rockford, charlotteswebofrockford.org.

Chapter 6
Feb. 3, 7:30 p.m. This group’s family show is a blend of pop/jazz harmonies and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, including a six-minute version of “The Wizard of Oz.” JPAC, Janesville, (608) 758-0297, chapter6.com.

The Web: The Red Sea Pedestrians
Feb. 3, 7:30 p.m. These six instrument-swapping musicians from Michigan fuse Klezmer, Greek, Gypsy, Celtic, jazz and American roots with their own original visions, in a high-energy performance that borders on a variety show. MPAC, Emerson Auditorium, Rockford, (815) 964-2238.

9 to 5 The Musical
Feb. 8-May 6, check website for days/times. Direct from Broadway and the 1st National Tour, the smash hit musical based on the smash hit film. Fireside, Fort Atkinson, firesidetheatre.com.

Beloit International Film Festival
Feb. 16-19, various times. Screenings of a selection of juried independent feature-length and short documentary and narrative films, with filmmakers on hand for Q&A. Various venues, Beloit, Wis.; Janesville, Wis.; Rockford, Ill. (608) 313-1200, beloitfilmfest.org.

The Web: Beppe Gambetta
Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. A master of the acoustic guitar, this Italian singer/composer blends American roots music with sounds of his native country. Emerson House, Rockford, (815) 964-2238.

Mardi Gras Celebration
Feb. 18, 3-4:30 p.m. In a Rockford re-creation of this timeless festival, dance to great music, make a Mardi Gras mask, maybe even get crowned king or queen. RPL, Main Branch, rockfordlibrary.org.

BJSO: Silent Film Showcase
Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. Part of Beloit International Film Festival. BJSO brings back the magic of cinema’s early years with a live accompaniment to a favorite silent film classic. The Eclipse Center, Beloit. Tickets: BJSO, beloitjanesvillesymphony.org.

Cor Cantiamo: Lux Aeterna
Feb. 19, 4:30 p.m. Members of this professional ensemble have performed with the likes of Chicago Symphony Chorus, Grant Park Chorus. They are joined by some Canterbury Singers. Canterbury Music Society, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 221 W. 3rd St., Dixon, Ill., canterburyconcerts.com.

My Fair Lady
Feb. 26, 3 p.m. The glorious musical adaptation of Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” with hits like “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” and “On the Street Where You Live.” Broadway at the Coronado Series. CPAC, Rockford, (815) 968-0595, coronadopac.org.

Debussy, le magnifique
March 2, 7:30 p.m. A selection of Debussy’s most impressive compositions performed by an ensemble of talented local and regional artists. MPAC, Rockford, mendelssohnpac.org.

Anne Frank
March 2-4, 8-9, F-Sat. 7 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Drama based on the diary account by a young girl of two years spent hiding from Nazis in an attic in Amsterdam with her family and others. Vince Carney Community Theatre, Paddock Memorial Hall, Hickory Grove Complex, 1127 N. 7th St., Rochelle, Ill. (815) 764-2287, vcctrochelle.org.

McNulty Irish Dancers
March 3, 11-11:45 a.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early with this group’s authentic jigs, reels and other favorites. RPL Main Branch, Rockford, rockfordpubliclibrary.org.

“Mary Todd Lincoln”
March 9, 7 p.m. A dramatic impersonation of this tortured and disliked First Lady, the wife of one of our most beloved presidents. Part of Historic Voices series. Pec Playhouse Theatre, 314 Main St., Pecatonica, Ill. (815) 239-1210, pecplayhouse.org.

Collected Stories
March 16-April 1, check website for times. A literary version of All About Eve, as a noted and cranky writer takes on an assistant who goes from employee to friend to rival. AE, Rockford, (815) 394-5004, artistsensemble.org.

Avalon String Quartet
March 16, 7 p.m. One of the country’s top string ensembles, in residence at NIU in DeKalb. MPAC, Rockford, mendelssohnpac.org.

Derek Nickels: Organ Recital
March 18, 4:30 p.m. This popular regional performer will play on a circa 1948, 102-stop organ, one of the largest in Illinois. Canterbury Music Society, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 221 W. 3rd St., Dixon, Ill., canterburyconcerts.com.

Murder is Easy
March 21-25, 28-31, 8 p.m., March 24-25, 28, 2 p.m. The Agatha Christie jigsaw at its best, worked out like a diabolical game of Clue. RVC Studio Theatre, Rockford, rockvalley.edu.

Christopher Houlihan Organ Concert
March 25, 3 p.m. This international performer has been heralded as one of the brightest new American organists. Free; donations accepted. Sounds From The Sanctuary Concert Series, First Lutheran Church, 225 S. 3rd St., Rockford, (815) 962-6691, rockfordlutheranministries.com.

BoDeans
April 21, 7:30 p.m. Over the past 20 years, Waukesha boys Sam Llanas and Kurt Neumann have forged a signature sound of heartfelt lyrics, passionate harmonies and ringing guitars, with hits like “Closer To Free” and “Good Things.” JPAC, Janesville, (608) 758-0297.

The Web: Claudia Nygaard
April 21, 7:30 p.m. Once a writer of formulaic songs on Nashville’s Music Row, this singer/songwriter’s original works now are compared to John Prine and Guy Clark, with passionate, emotional melodies and vivid, descriptive lyrics. Emerson House, Rockford, charlotteswebofrockford.org.

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